Special Diocesan Features Life Back to Eisenhower Park for the 5th Annual Community CROP Hunger Walk The 5th Annual CROP (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) Hunger Walk took place in Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, NY on October 18, 2014. Sponsored by the humanitarian aid organization, Church World Service, some 80 Long Islanders from six churches and two organizations began the Walk with prayer, given by Fr. Martin Kraus, and stepped off to a one or two mile course. The Walk’s goal was to raise funds from sponsors to feed the hungry, and more especially to provide seeds, tools, and methods that help people in impoverished countries to grow better crops and themselves raise their standard of living.
the Uniondale High School Key Club (Daniel Ruano, President), and the organization “Abilities,” with their Advisor, Jillian Bianco. Sponsorship also came from members of the St. Sergius OCA Chapel, Syosset.
Winter Spring/ 2012 Summer 2015
Refreshments served after the Walk included Matushka Dennise’s hot and tasty soup and pizza. An impromptu songfest followed, led by popular Karaoke DJ, Barry Hoffman, who volunteered his services. Help with directing cars to the right park area was offered by Boy Scouts Troop 225 and their leader, Gil Suarez.
Coordinator Arlene Kallaur stated that some 1,200 walks are held across the country each year, One of the best features of this year’s 9 walks on Long Island. Treasurer of the Walk, walk was the growth in the number of groups participating and their diversity. Fellowship Ron Ousman, reported that this year’s Walk raised among the walkers offered new connections the most funds in its 5 year history, over $9,000. and budding friendships. They included Holy Twenty five percent of the funds remains locally Trinity Orthodox Church, OCA, East Meadow and is given to an outreach group chosen by the (Arlene Kallaur, Coordinator) and their priest, Fr. Walk Committee. The Long Island Council of Martin Kraus, St. Andrew’s Orthodox Church, Churches will again receive this year’s funds. OCA, Dix Hills (Virginia Jerosh, Captain), Holy Among the many services that it offers to the needy, Resurrection Greek Orthodox Church, Brookville it runs food pantries in Freeport and Riverhead (Sophia Niarchos, Captain), St. Paul’s Greek It continues to assist victims of Hurricane Sandy Orthodox Church, Hempstead (Steve Pontickio, who are still recovering. Grateful thanks to all who Captain), St. Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church, supported the Walk, helping to erase poverty “one Woodbury (led by Fr. Moses), the United Methodist step at a time.” v Church, East Meadow, (led by Pastor Paul Smith),
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very family should have a room where Christ is welcome in the person of the hungry and thirsty stranger.
St. John Chrysostom
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